BFF NEWSROOM

​Recycling, composting, and zero waste are quickly becoming more commonplace practices. Because many people are still unaware of the necessity of adopting these practices, it is important to take the time to learn and educate people in the community around yourself. Embracing these practices will not only benefit the Earth and environment around you, but it will also bring you closer to the people who surround you, the food that you handle and consume, and to your own awareness and body. I sat down with Morgan Wright, with Hillside Solutions, to speak of their composting and recycling programs. They have partnered with multiple businesses in Benson and are hoping to educate this community and neighborhood about the importance of waste reduction.

Q: What do you do with Hillside Solutions?A: You can think of us like an eco-friendly trash company. As in, we’ll empty your dumpster and take it to the landfill, but we’d much rather figure out ways to recycle and compost your waste. We help businesses, schools, and apartments meet their sustainability goals, whether it’s just increasing recycling rates or figuring out how they can go zero-waste. From what I can tell, we’re the only business in town offering organizations this type of comprehensive service, and it looks like 2018 is going to be a break through year for us.

But all that to say, it’s my job to talk to people in the community everyday about how we can partner up to create more sustainability. I love it! Q: Besides the obvious benefits of composting, what else have you gathered through your experience with composting and reducing waste that has been beneficial? A: Our team is learning so much everyday about the effects of our waste system. A lot of people think, “What’s the issue with landfills?”

Landfills themselves could be a carbon capsule for energy in the future, which can be viewed as beneficial. But everyday after the trash goes in, they put down a layer of dirt to offset smells and trash flying around. While this seems like a good thing, what it actually does is block out oxygen from getting to our organic waste, so it takes forever for materials to break down. A head of lettuce thrown into a garbage bag that gets thrown into a landfill takes 25 years to break down. Think about that!

In the meantime, that lettuce head is putting off methane, which is 60 times worse than CO2. While many landfills collect methane and sell it to energy companies, the total amount of methane released in the lifespan of a landfill that isn’t catchable ends up creating more problems than solutions.

There’s a better way, and that’s composting our organic waste, which is where we come in.

Q: Is there anything you could direct other people towards to learn more about composting, recycling, or waste reduction?A: I recently saw the “Wasted! The Story of Food Waste” documentary at a collaborative screening at Film Streams. I really encourage everyone to watch this to get an understanding of what our food waste does to the environment, and what alternatives we have to be apart of the solution.

People in our community right here are leading the charge, like our sustainability partners at Duchesne Academy. They have a 2030 zero-waste goal, and are the first high school in Omaha to participate in our composting program. The students, parents, and educators within the school system are very involved and they are some of my local heroes.

We’re also working with St. John’s Parish on the Creighton University campus as they work towards becoming the first zero-waste congregation in Omaha.Q: Do you think you could see a zero-waste Benson in the future? Or anything close?A: That’s what I’m working towards everyday. I love this neighborhood, and I think Benson is a diverse, accepting, and progressive community, so we certainly have the capacity to grow into a greener neighborhood.

Short term goals: We’re exploring the feasibility of community composting stations in the neighborhood, since we’ve seen such a high demand for people wanting to drop off their organic waste. I’ve been attending community meetings and meeting with neighborhood owners one-on-one to explore how we can increase recycling rates and begin composting their organic waste. The response has been really positive and I think we’re going to be able to make a lot of progress this year.

“Hi! My name is Morgan Wright and I love Benson. I'm a proud BFF member, Benson Neighborhood Association member, and currently have a massage therapy practice out of my Benson home. Most of all, I’ve loved my time working at various neighborhood establishments, and supporting the thriving music and art scene over the past decade. I'm honored to be a part of such a vibrant community, I love the people of Benson, and look forward to helping my community become more sustainable. Hillside Solutions provides an alternative to traditional waste companies. We are a local, family owned business that takes recycling, organic material, which is processed at our compost farm, and landfill refuse. We’d love to hear from you in how we can work together to improve our community.”

​In Benson, there is opportunity around every corner. The community, the businesses, the artists, and the people all share one common element, they want to be the best they can be.

But sometimes, this much potential can become dizzying. The old saying rings true, "so much to do, so little time". And when the activities are this engaging and wonderful, you don’t want to miss a one.

I have included here a list of the Art Galleries in Benson (that I am aware of) so that everyone can go out and support the local artists that make Benson so weird/great. This is also not an extensive list, particularly because every business in Benson tends to have art hanging on their walls, so you can never go wrong!

Ah, Louis. What was once a neighborhood grocery store is now a (mediocre) gas station. When I was a kid, I remember biking to Louis market with a neighborhood friend and returning with an off-brand soda and a pack of candy cigarettes. Those tasted like garbage, but we looked cool. Louis was opened in 1957, and closed in 2012. There were aspects of the store that I assumed had never changed since its birth. The retro sign that stood tall in the parking lot, the wavy linoleum floor that gave off the sense of structural instability when walked upon, and the ancient claw machine that stood by the east doors, impossible to ever win. Call these features outdated and concerning, but to most people living in Benson, these quirks simply added to its charm and beauty. Some of the employees seemed to have been there since 1957… but were always begrudgingly ready to help, which was always sort-of appreciated. Listen, if you were going to Louis for a great customer service experience and top-of-the-line freezers, you shouldn’t have been shopping at Louis in the first place. But alas, never will I step foot in that beautiful old grocery store again. Long gone are the days of losing coins to that impossible claw machine, or chugging an off brand soda while gnawing on a jaw-breaking candy cigarette. Rest in peace Louis, you are forever missed.

BENSON – When a group of Benson businesses and organizations heard there wasn’t going to be a zombie walk down Maple Street this year, they decided to take action. As a result, zombies and zombie lovers across the metro are in for some good news: the 2017 Omaha Zombie Walk is set for Friday, Nov. 3, in downtown Benson. This year’s event will coincide with the November edition of Benson First Friday.

“The annual Omaha Zombie Walk has become synonymous with Benson, so a group of us got together to make sure it continues,” said Alex Jochim, executive director of Benson First Friday.

There is no cost to participate in the walk, but donations will be accepted on behalf of Siena/Francis House. Representatives of the organization will be present at Burke’s Pub, 6117 Maple St., and several other spots during the walk to collect donations.

Participants will gather in the parking lot of the Citylight Arts Project (CAP) Building, 5603 Northwest Radial Highway, at 6:30pm. The walk route runs down Maple Street and ends at 1912, 6201 Maple St. As in years past, Maple Street will not be closed to traffic, so all walkers should use the sidewalks and heed all traffic signals. Drivers should be aware of increased pedestrians in the area.

Jochim said the 2017 theme is Zombie BFF, which means all zombies are welcome. Several makeup stations will be set up at Burke’s Pub from 4:30 to 6:30pm.

For those zombies who enjoy the spotlight, a photo booth will be set up at the CAP Building at 6:00pm, and Barchen, 6209 Maple St., will host a zombie fashion contest following the walk at 7:30pm. Both events are free and open to all zombies.

MacKenzie is a full-time student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she studies studio art and art history. She also works at The Sydney and Scooter's, so she's super busy, but she did make time to answer a few questions for us. Take a look below:

​What was your inspiration for the poster art?I was inspired by Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergére. In my work, I focus a lot on positive feminine energy. For this Benson First Friday poster, keeping in mind that Femme Fest was also this month, I wanted my lady to look strong and command attention. I thought it was important to make her delicate and authoritative at the same time. I really enjoy working in black and white because I feel like it immediately draws the eye in and allows the use of more detail that may get lost in the mix of a lot of color.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?I've been an artist my whole life. My parents always encouraged the arts when I was a child, and my passion never went away. I feel very fortunate that I was able to find something so powerful that I love and plan to keep pursuing the rest of my life.

Where can people see your work?People can see my work via instagram (@oheydare). A website is in the works.

What's your favorite thing about Benson?The focus Benson has on the local arts is awesome. It gives so many musicians and artists the opportunity to showcase themselves to the rest of the community. It is such a wonderful community filled with amazing people.

Like this month’s BFF poster? It’s the work of Jeff Armstrong, creative director at Sleight Advertising/SA Production Studio. By day, he’s a cinematographer/editor/animator, but he’s always loved photography and graphic design.

“I’m not much of an artist in the traditional sense, but the opportunity presented itself to take part helping the community,” Jeff said of his BFF work. “I love showing others what Benson is all about. I love that the whole neighborhood gets together to celebrate art and music. It's nice to wander around, duck your head in and meet people that you might not cross paths with on a regular basis. We are all guilty of getting stuck in a routine (St. Andrews for me), but it's nice to get out of your comfort zone and experience new things in Benson that you didn't know were there.”

We asked Jeff what inspired the July poster, and here’s what he told us:

“When I first started working on the poster, I knew I wanted to incorporate photography into the design. St. Andrews is one of my favorite places in Benson, so I wanted to take the photo from the point of view I’m familiar with. It's great sitting out on the benches in front and east of St. Andrews, talking with friends and meeting new people in the neighborhood.”

We also asked Jeff when he knew he wanted to be an artist:

“I grew up in an artistic family. My grandmother (Kay Armstrong), who volunteered at the Joslyn for 25+ years, got me interested in art at a very young age. From there, I continued learning under the direction of Monica Baxter at Skutt Catholic High School. She was a great teacher, and I learned a lot from her and my peers (who were a lot more skilled then me!)

Ever wonder how Benson First Friday is able to get so much done? This summer, we have three secret weapons: The Intern Squad. They are, in a word, amazing, so we want to introduce them to you, one by one.

Meet Michael Johnson. She loves making art, swimming, and riding her bike around town. Michael is a senior majoring in art at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and she thinks plants are really neat. She is helping with several BFF projects this summer:

Benson Days

the Banner Project

Lincoln Calling

Artist’s Market

BFF zine.

What, you may be asking, is the BFF zine? Well, become an official Friend of BFF and get your very own copy when it's published!

Hey, all - we've got a special activity planned for our official Friends of BFF July 7.

Stop by the BFF HQ Table in the Artist Market and participate in a Make & Take activity. If you're a member, you get to participate for free! If you know anyone who's interested in becoming a Friend of BFF, they can sign up that night at the table or go online any time:

The Artist Market runs from 5:00 to 10:00pm where Military meets Maple. We've got more than 20 artists and vendors signed up to participate. Make sure you're around at 8:30pm for a belly dancing performance.

Click here for more on what's happening up and down Maple Street July 7. See you on the street.

Our friends at KANEKO will be hosting the BFF Art BooFF July 7. This street-style booth - kind of like an art-themed newsstand or kid's lemonade stand - is hosted by a different group each month.

KANEKO will be promoting KINETIC, an interactive exhibit that explores the art and science of movement and the perception of motion. Stop by the booFF and make a pinwheel. You can either take it home or leave it to become part of the exhibit. The KANEKO folks will also be creating a giant pinwheel at the booFF. Other BFF-featured artists will be asked to make pinwheels to display.